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Mini-guide for getting into anime.

“So what do you like to do?”
“Well, I like to watch anime.”
“Woah seriously?! What’re your favorite shows?”
“Naruto and Bleach. ^_^”

I think anime has turned me into some sort of elitist. Numerous times have I come across fellow anime watchers and gotten extremely excited (partially because there are so few people interested in anime at my school), had a conversation similar to the one above, and then been extremely disappointed. It just makes me want to punt someone into a room of trampolines made of concrete rubber (whatever that is). I’m not going to lie, when Toonami first aired Naruto I thought the show was pretty legit, legit enough for me to watch all of the episodes before Shippuden. As for Bleach, I have no real opinion of that show, but it looks cool; however, it pains me to know that there are so many people out there that stick to only these mediocre shows (yeah, I said it) instead of branching out to experience the good stuff. Because I’m such a kind person, though, I shall bestow upon you adorable semi-otaku a little mini-guide for getting into anime.

For starters, don’t adopt the mindset that most people have towards anime in that it is full of young, busty women with annoyingly high voices and young teenagers with spiky hair. A lot of the good shows aren’t like that; they actually strive to be different and do a pretty damn good job of pulling it off. Even with that said, don’t let the stereotypical elements sway you away if they are present. Sure, the main heroine has a FF rack that should be causing her numerous back pains. Does that mean that the show is going to suck? The possibility surely exists, but don’t let something like that turn you away before you miss out on a real treat. You’re not going to like everything you see at first; the best shows often start off in an abysmally slow manner but once they take off it’s like a constant orgasm for your viewing pleasure, if that makes any sense. With that said, let’s talk a bit about some shows which I, KhaosMuffins, personally recommend to start out with when wandering into the oh-so-scary world of anime. Note: Keep in mind that most of these series are either short or of moderate length (12-26 episodes, nothing more than that).

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (Action/Mecha genre)

Yours is the drill that shall pierce the Heavens!

I love this show for so many reasons. At first glance you may think that it’s some regular mecha anime. If that’s the case for you, then just stop thinking for a bit and let me preach some real talk in your direction for a bit. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (which I shall dub as TTGL from this point on) is much more than that; it is basically the resulting structure of when you combine and blend together the beard of God’s own personal mecha, Bob Ross’ chisel, Morgan Freeman’s vocal chords, a honey badger, a container of Nutella, and a Blendtec blender (yes, it blends!). Simply put, it’s pretty freaking amazing and is easily among my top five favorite shows (which would be Gintama, Hajime no Ippo, TTGL, Durarara!!!, and a tie between Steins;Gate and Mawaru Penguindrum in case you were wondering, but that’s besides the point). You can easily find a synopsis for yourself, but even that will not do this show justice. TTGL has amazing action scenes, a wonderful cast of characters (and acceptable character development), an enjoyable story, a kickass soundtrack, and *gasp* no filler! Definitely be sure to check this show out.

Toradora (Comedy/Romance)

Notice the lack of outrageously-sized breasts

I must admit, I have a weakness for cute things. Kittens? I pet that. Adorable children? I spoil that. Asian girls? I bearhug that. Toradora was probably my introduction to romance anime, and when I first started out I often wondered, “So why am I watching this again?” However, the show swiftly grew on me, and soon I began to love every second of it. Sadly, thanks to Toradora my perceptions of love may or may not be slightly twisted, but eh. Again, I won’t bore you with a synopsis that you can easily find. I will, however, attempt to entertain you with a haiku that gives some basic insight on the show. *ahem*

Love is quite twisted

Like that movie Inception

Refrigerator

What I mean by that is that the show is littered with comedic moments that will surely make you laugh, no matter how cheesy, and that you’ll be hit with completely-not-at-all-obvious twists in the plot (just watch); It all blends together to create an enjoyable experience. If you got something else from that poem then. . . well. . . you’re not going deep enough.

Code Geass (Action/Drama/Mecha)

I’m actually quite surprised that a lot of people haven’t seen this show considering that it aired on Adult Swim awhile back. Strange. Anyways, in terms of mind-blowing stories and evil laughs, Code Geass is probably one of your best bets. Yes, it’s another anime containing mecha, but the action is not what defines this series – it’s the narrative and the way in which everything plays out. The story truly is captivating and full of surprises. Once you finish watching one episode you may find yourself eager to jump directly into the next (and thankfully you won’t have to wait a week for that next episode to air thanks to the wonders of technology and the internet. Thank you Based God). I truly do not wish to spoil anything for you guys here, but just know that this show is going to take you on a ride, kick you off, let you back on (this time without a safety belt), and take you for yet another one; the best part about this is that there is no filler taking up any of that time, so it’s all basically non-stop. You will definitely not regret checking this show out.

Cowboy Bebop (Kickassness)

And to this day I still strive to be a space bounty hunter...

This show is a classic, and there truly is nothing that I can say about this show that has not been expressed in this video:

Other shows that are good to start out with:

Full Metal Alchemist (Action/Comedy/Drama)

Full Metal Panic (Action/Drama)

Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu (Comedy)

Darker than Black (Action/Drama)

Hajime no Ippo (Sports – boxing/Comedy)

Samurai Champloo (Action)

Azumanga Daioh (Comedy)

Clannad (Romance/Drama. . . like the kind that will cause you to tear up and make you realize that you have a soul type of drama)

Death Note (Drama)

You may be wondering why exactly I chose these shows and why most of them lie in the action department. Simply put, they are simple, easy to understand (for the most part), and are somewhat lacking of the features that make anime so notorious *coughLuckyStarHaruhiMadokacough*. For example, Gintama is my all time favorite show without a doubt; however, the hundreds of comedic references to other shows that it throws in your face may leave newcomers dumbfounded. There is also Steins;Gate, a show that does not make any sense whatsoever until about halfway through the season. It takes patience to appreciate the more “complex” anime, you just have to get into the elitist anime viewer mindset before then. After that happens, then you can check out and appreciate other awesome shows such as Eden of the East, Madoka, Arakawa Under the Bridge, Black Lagoon, Mawaru Penguindrum, and more.

And of course, if you have any anime that you would love to recommend for newcomers or would like to rage, please do so in the comments below.

3 thoughts on “Mini-guide for getting into anime.”

Hm… Just wanted to say… Naruto is possibly one of my favorite animes. of course, it doesn’t even compare to Deathnote at all. Anywho, I don’t believe Deathnote is easy to understand for most people just starting out into anime… heck, it’s even taken me several go-throughs of the anime, mangas, and Live-action Movies of the series to fully grasp EVERYTHING about Deathnote. Granted, I’m ridiculously into that specific art series, more than the average fan (I don’t even think I qualify as just a plain ol’ fan). There are many hidden things in the series that hint towards what may happen later, and If you decide to watch/read it again, you may find something new or notice something very small, but so detailed as to how it pertains to the anime/manga. just saying. Really like this post though. Great work!